The ancestor of loom

The earliest looms were sitting looms (also known as waist looms). The method of use is to step on the warp stick of the loom with your feet, hold the weft beating wooden knife in your right hand to tighten the weft, and use your left hand to make the weft feeding lead. This kind of foot pedal waist machine has no frame. One end of the cloth winding shaft is tied to the waist. The two feet pedal the warp shaft at the other end and tension the fabric. The warp yarn is divided into two layers by odd and even numbers with a warp dividing rod. The warp yarn is lifted with a heald lifting rod to form a shed, and the weft insertion is carried out with a bone needle and the weft beating knife. The most important achievement of waist machine weaving is the use of heald lifting rod, warp dividing rod and weft beating knife. Although this kind of loom is very simple, it has three directions of movement: opening the mouth up and down, weft insertion left and right, and tightening back and forth. It is the ancestor of modern looms.